| So far, the public health authorities have been in a | | | | immunization to neutralize the virus. |
| continuous alert due to the presence of H5N1, the | | | | Also, a British company is working to produce an |
| bird flu virus which affected Asia and infected about | | | | effective bird flu vaccine. |
| 100 humans in the past 18 months, half of the victims | | | | The director of the National Institute of Allergy and |
| not surviving the virus attack. Scientists worry about | | | | Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci declared to be |
| a possible global pandemic, and so they have been | | | | very enthusiastic about the new vaccine and its |
| trying to develop an effective vaccine against H5N1. | | | | immunizing properties, also declaring that he considers |
| Until now millions of birds were slaughtered in Asia in | | | | the tests to be a key step in the world's attempt to |
| the attempt of stopping the virus from transmitting | | | | stop a possible global pandemic. |
| itself to animals and humans. | | | | Another scientist, Michael T. Osterholm of the |
| After a long wait, yesterday, a federal health | | | | University of Minnesota was very relieved when |
| spokesman said that the scientists have finally | | | | hearing about the success registered by the new |
| created an effective vaccine against a strain of the | | | | vaccine when tested, and declare that he was |
| flu virus that is considered to be a possible spark for | | | | worried about the fact that two doses of the |
| the beginning of a global pandemic. | | | | vaccine might not have been working, that |
| The vaccine has been tested on 133 volunteers | | | | constituting a real problem for the researchers. |
| within a study conducted by US universities, and has | | | | More testing will be needed before the vaccine will be |
| proved to be efficient, providing a powerful weapon | | | | ready to be mass produced, and also a method of |
| against the flu virus. | | | | distributing large quantities will have to be designed. |
| The study has been conducted at the University of | | | | Scientists are positive that in case of a global |
| Maryland at Baltimore, the University of Rochester in | | | | pandemic a lot of people will be left unvaccinated due |
| New York and the University of California at Los | | | | to the existent lacks in the health system, because it |
| Angeles. | | | | is not easy to produce and distribute the vaccine |
| The conclusions of the study were that two doses | | | | effectively in a short time. |
| of the vaccine are enough to produce the right | | | | |